Following his dominant performance at UFC 314, Paddy Pimblett has expressed interest in welcoming Ilia Topuria to the lightweight division.
In the co-main event of the Miami UFC card, Pimblett achieved a decisive victory over Michael Chandler, extending his undefeated UFC streak to 7 wins.
“The Baddy” is now looking towards a significant matchup, and a fight against Ilia Topuria, a former featherweight champion, is a highly anticipated prospect among fans. This potential fight was brought up after Pimblett had called out fighters like Justin Gaethje, Charles Oliveira, and Arman Tsarukyan in his post-fight interview.
Pimblett admitted he had overlooked Topuria, stating, “To be honest, I forgot about him. He`s so irrelevant that he didn`t even cross my mind for the callouts. I actually rank higher than him in the lightweight division, so I`d gladly welcome him to 155 pounds. However, it seems he`s waiting for a title shot.”
Pimblett confidently added, “But based on what I just did to Chandler, that`s the perfect strategy to beat him. I`m confident I`ll do the same thing to Ilia that I did to Chandler.”
Looking ahead, Pimblett aims to compete for the lightweight title by 2026, securing another win in the process. He is prepared to face any challenger, whether it be Islam Makhachev or another contender, as he progresses towards his championship aspirations.
Pimblett acknowledged potential shifts in the division, mentioning, “I`ve heard talks about Islam possibly retiring after a couple more title defenses, or Jack Della Maddalena potentially moving up to welterweight for a title fight if he defeats Belal Muhammad. It`s uncertain, but my focus is on training to fight the best, like Islam Makhachev, even if he might not be champion when I get there.”
He concluded, “We`ll have to see how things unfold. I`m ready to fight whoever is put in front of me by the UFC. Whoever they choose for my next fight, that`s who I`ll face.”
